ArticleBMC psychology2025
The relationship between physical exercise and social anxiety: the mediating role of social comparison and emotion regulation.
Article in BMC psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- The mediating effect of self-compassion and cognitive emotion regulation on the relationship between tolerance and social appearance anxiety in adolescents.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Physical activity and alexithymia: chain mediation of sense of coherence and social anxiety-a study of chemistry majors.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- The effect of physical exercise on social appearance anxiety among college students: the serial mediating role of social media addiction and self-objectification.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- The relationship between physical exercise and social anxiety among college students: the chain mediation of self-concept clarity and psychological resilience.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Interpretable analysis of social anxiety status and influencing factors among college students.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSocial anxiety has become a significant issue in mental health studies because of its association with college students' academic success and well-being. While physical exercise is related to better physical fitness, its potential association with lower mental health issues, particularly social anxiety, needs further investigation. This study examines whether social comparison and emotion regulation are associated with the link between physical exercise and social anxiety.
methodsA random sample of 614 college students from Yan'an University, Shaanxi Province, completed questionnaires measuring physical activity, social anxiety, social comparison, and emotion regulation. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26.0 to examine relationships and mediating effects.
resultsPhysical exercise was associated with lower levels of social anxiety, partly explained by its associations with reduced negative social comparisons and better emotion regulation. Significant correlations were found between physical exercise and social comparison (β = -0.1014, p < 0.001), emotion regulation (β = 0.1447, p < 0.001), social comparison and emotion regulation (β = -0.9820, p < 0.001), and emotion regulation and social anxiety (β = -0.2928, p < 0.001), but not between physical exercise and social anxiety (β = -0.0117, p > 0.050).
conclusionPhysical exercise is indirectly related to lower social anxiety, partly explained by reduced negative social comparisons and better emotion regulation, underscoring its potential value and implications for mental health promotion.
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